Video: Meet The Snow Cone Man

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – After retiring, one Oktibbeha County man starts a new career in the snow cone business.

Mike Shannon owns a snow cone truck and travels across the area serving the cold treat.

Growing up, many of us remember the ice cream man driving around the neighborhood selling ice cream.

Now, kids in this area will grow up remembering the snow cone man.

The truck sells itself, and the music and experience attracts customers of all ages to it to enjoy over 100 different flavors of snow cones.

The music takes many of us back to our childhood.

“When I was a kid, I use to chase this truck,” says snow cone customer, Rod Mcky.

Kona Ice of Oktibbeha is one of its kind in this part of the state and has been rolling across the area since April.

“Drizzle in in the center and it will get down in the middle,” says owner Mike Shannon.

“So, when you walked out and you saw this big truck what did you think?” “Pretty cool,” says snow cone customer, Owen Colvin.

“Snow cone man. Snow cone man,” says children.

The snow cone man says it’s those smiles and chants that makes the job.

“Watching the smiles on the kids’ faces and driving up and seeing the truck like suck people in. It’s amazing. All ages,” says Shannon.

Amazing, but it also comes with its own challenges.

“It’s a tough business. I mean, you have to have a personality for it. You’ve got to be able to enjoy it and enjoy kids. It’s sometimes long hours. One day, I got up and I left the house at 6:30 and I got home at 1:15 the next morning,” says Shannon.

Shannon goes through 800 to 900 pounds of ice on a busy week, probably because of what this snow cone customer, OJ, has to say.

“Berry good.”